MARIETTA — Seventeen people were arrested last week on prostitution-related charges at various hotels and homes, most occurring along Delk and Franklin roads.

According to 17 arrest warrants filed by the Marietta Police Department and the Marietta-Cobb-Smyrna (MCS) Organized Crime Unit, 15 women and two men were rounded up between Aug. 27 and Aug. 31.

Ten arrests made by Marietta police were along Delk Road.

Travis Lamar Bailey of Piedmont, S.C., and Tena Evyette Mcghee of Marietta were arrested at the Howard Johnson Inn at 2375 Delk Road and each charged with prostitution.

Bailey reportedly accepted $60 for sexual acts and Mcghee $180. They were released from the Cobb County jail on $1,000 bonds.

Jessica Dare McDaniel, who is either 16 or 17 based on jail records, of Mableton was arrested at the same hotel on charges of prostitution, pimping and possession of methamphetamine.

She is accused of working with McGhee to solicit $180 for sex acts. She also reportedly made arrangements for McGhee to meet with an undercover officer to have sex and was in possession of meth.

Beasia Dorena Brown of Atlanta was arrested at the Scottish Inns at 2390 Delk Road in Marietta on prostitution charges. She is accused of accepting $150 for sexual acts and remains in jail on a $1,000 bond.

Not far from this hotel, three more people were arrested at an unidentified location at 2370 Delk Road.

Keri Lynn Turner and Robin Sue Hoskins, both from Marietta, were arrested on prostitution charges and for saying they would perform sexual acts with officers for $35 to $40 each.

One man, Latwion Johnson of Lawrenceville, was also arrested on charges of pimping and giving false information. He is accused of “providing protection” for Turner while she arranged a deal with an undercover officer to have sex. He also allegedly gave officers the wrong name and birth date when arrested.

Johnson remains in the jail on holds for Gwinnett and Fulton county police departments. Cherokee County has a hold on Turner for prior incidents and Hoskins was released on a $1,000 bond Sept. 1.

Marietta police also made three additional arrests along Franklin Road during the two-day sting.

Kimberlea Williams of Dallas, Texas, was arrested on prostitution charges at the Nazareth Place shopping center at 585 Franklin Road for allegedly agreeing to accept $100 for sex. She remains in jail on a $1,000 bond.

Later that night, Marietta residents Kathleen Wengert and Shanine Janee Hamilton were arrested at the Quality Inn at 1255 Franklin Road and are accused of saying they would accept $30 to $50 each to have a sex with an agent.

They both remain in jail on $1,000 bonds.

7 more arrested Aug. 27

Marietta residents Poursha Danielle Rainey, Arriana Joelle Loger and Kaila Renee Guidry were all arrested at the Regency Inn and Suites at 642 Cobb Parkway in Marietta on prostitution charges for allegedly each taking $260 from an undercover police officer for sex.

Rainey and Loger were released on $1,000 bonds and Guidry is being held on a warrant for Henry County.

Tracy Traver of Powder Springs was arrested at the Days Inn at 4502 Circle 75 Parkway on similar charges and reportedly accepted $60 from the undercover agent. She remains in jail on a $2,000 bond.

Jennifer Elizabeth Gordon of Smyrna was arrested on charges of prostitution at a home in the 2600 block of Linnwood Drive in Smyrna for accepting $120 from an undercover officer as a “donation” for a “body rub.”

“A donation is a common term used by prostitutes to signify payment for a sexual act,” the warrant states.

Gordon is also accused of telling the officer that she would perform other sexual acts for $60.

She was released from the Cobb County jail on a $2,500 bond. Her bail was higher because she has a history of arrests in Florida, according to jail records.

Kalah Lianne Carney of Flowery Branch was arrested on prostitution charges at the Extended Stay American Hotel at 1967 Leland Drive in Marietta for taking $200 from an undercover cop for sex, and is being held for White County.

Duluth resident Laura Elizabeth Criscuolo, who was released from the jail on a $1,000 bond, was arrested on charges of masturbation for hire.

She is accused of advertising to give a “body rub” for $200 per hour at a home in the 700 block of Blackwell Lane south of Piedmont Road in Marietta. The warrant accuses her of rubbing an undercover officer’s private parts, at which point he placed her under arrest.

Redevelopment bond could reduce crimes

With three of the 17 arrests happening along the Franklin Road corridor, which city of Marietta voters will consider redeveloping with a $68 million bond in November, some City Council candidates say these prostitution-related arrests could be proof that there is a need to improve the area.

“I think that a successful bond is measured by how the crime has decreased,” said Ward 6 candidate Michelle Cooper Kelly.

She is seeking to replace Councilman Jim King.

“I think by consolidating the population and tearing down some of the blighted, dilapidated facilities, that will rid a lot of the crime,” Kelly continued. “It will force landlords to increase their standards as to who they allow to live in their places.”

She wouldn’t say whether she will vote for the bond or not, but she did say she is in support of voters tackling the decision in two months.

“I think the conversation is good and ultimately up to the citizens of Marietta to decide if that’s something they want to pay for,” she said.

Marietta City School Board member Stuart Fleming, who is looking to replace Annette Lewis in Ward 1 on the City council, agrees.

“In some regards I support the bond, but we have to be thoughtful to what that means,” he said Wednesday. “Practical application still needs to be worked out as to how we implement it.”

Fleming also said he thinks continued prostitution stings like the one conducted last week will be helpful to that area.

“And if the bond is effective, this could surely help that … government needs to resolve these problems, not move these problems,” he said.

This sounds like a propaganda piece to get people to vote for the bond initiative. They say it will cost a total of 68 million, but how does that break down for the average Marietta city homeowner? Sure, Franklin Road needs to be razed, but not at that cost to the taxpayers. Lets face it, the majority of the people who will be paying the bill will never have to go near that area other than to go on I-75 or pick up food at Tasty China.

Arthur Blank should buy up the land and build the new Falcons stadium up here.

Of the 17 individuals arrested, only 8 live in Marietta. At no time does this article say that those 8 live on Franklin Road. If they do not, please tell me how bulldozing apartments would have made any difference in these prostitution cases.

Living in the city where prostitution occurs is not the issue. It is the area that draws the prostitution. Word gets around. So bulldozing apartments of whatever needs to be demolished to make way for an area that is not a hang-out for prostitutes and the "johns" looking for paid sex is the point of prostitution stings. Do you understand now?

anonymous

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September 05, 2013

What people need to realize is that Cobb County is old now. When places get old, if they are not maintained, well, you aren't going to attract money to those places. Then they get rat infested. There are not enough taxpayer dollars to clean up all the old, rat infested places in Cobb County. Same as Fulton. Same as Dunwoody, yes, Dunwoody. Will be someday in Milton. Once the rats move in, doom. All us taxpayers need to keep moving more and more and more into rural areas, which will someday become rat infested until we can move no more.

The apathy you express is why things go down hill. This story reflects an action by the police that should have been done a while ago. Unfortunately, the redevelopment bond is what triggered this enforcement of the law. If you drive by any of these locations, you would know what was going on. It would be a shame to throw up our hands and allow Franklin and Delk Road to mimic the path of a Fulton Industrial type reputation. If you think moving away is the solution, understand the history of Clayton County and its apathetic citizens.

Sorry about my rant, not targeting you directly. Just do not think giving up on the community where you have previously made the investment of your tax dollars is the solution for anybody.

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